Question of the Week: 75 - 1/14/2002So What Do YOU Think of the Pagan Web?What changes did you see in the Pagan Web last year? Were these changes good or bad? What do you hope to see happen or evolve on-line this year? What would you recommended to budding Pagan web weavers?

I came online in 1999 and the first website I made was dedicated to posting original pagan-related content. Now, two years later, I see the same content on hundreds of sites.

Literally... it is my content that I see on other sites, stripped of all credits toward myself as the author.

I think that the biggest change in the pagan web that I've seen is actually within myself. It used to bother me greatly to have my work taken and posted without credit or permission, but now I welcome it.

In fact, I am currently working on another site for this explicit purpose: quality original content, with a message at the bottom of every page that says...

"Feel free to take or use this content as you see fit."

It really feels good to let go of copyright. Saves a lot of frustration. Spreads information which you know is valid and good.

I think most of what's out there is great, and the wide diversity of opinions is always something to enjoy.I do think that one ought to watch out for putting down other traditions or implying that one's tradition is better than another.

I personally want to see more on gay witchcraft, and on the history of gay people in pagan societies.

I guess you could truly say I'm a seasoned veteran of the Pagan Web. My official entry into the virtual world coincided with my official entry into Paganism, as both of these things happened long ago (in a galaxy far away) in the dim dead year of 1990. :) I was a college dropout at 21, and a disillusioned Episcopalian seeking some deeper meaning than what I felt Christianity had to offer me, and I had become intrigued after reading of Jim Morrison and Patricia Kennealy's 1970 handfasting in "No One Here Gets Out Alive." It was on the BBSes of the old Pagan Information Network that I was first directed toward the many highly-regarded books on Paganism and Wicca (most especially Starhawk's "The Spiral Dance" and Margot Adler's "Drawing Down the Moon"), and the rather small, isolated Pagan community in New Orleans, where I lived at the time.Without the old PIN, I might never have found my chosen path, nor have finally begun to truly explore my own sexuality and romantic ideals, which I have explored mainly with Pagan women. And without the Pagan Web, when I at last ventured onto the Internet in early 1999, after several years' absence from cyberspace, I might not have found the Witches' Voice, which for me remains the premier Pagan source on the Internet, nor WaningMoon.com, which has one of the most reliable Pagan Personals sites out there. Their site introduced me to several ladies with whom I have started friendships, have had romances, and brought me at last to the love of my life this past November.

So what would I like to see with the evolving Pagan Web? I'd like to see, among other things, more sites for Pagan music. TWV was my first source, and it led me to Scott Martin's fine Pagan Rock Bands on the Web page (although at last glimpse, I would suggest that Mr. Martin does need to do at least a little revamping of that page, as a number of the bands listed no longer appear to have active pages or sites, and have thus become abandoned rest stops on the Information Superhighway).To those emerging with newer and bluer sites of their own, two words: ORIGINAL CONTENT. Very important, this. Don't just throw up everything you've already found on other websites, and don't copy what others have worked so hard to create. If you want something good and lasting, wrack your brains and inspire yourselves to new heights of creativity. After all, if you want continued site hits, you've got to keep your site fresh and original. Frequent updates are very important, and on this point I concur with those who have already posted opinions along this line.

Keep those ideas in mind, and you cannot go wrong.

I've Been Surfing The Web For Years And I Believe That The...

Jan 15th. at 9:24:59 am EST

Cyn Stavros (Toronto, Ontario CA)

Age: 27

I've been surfing the web for years and I believe that the Pagan web is very dusty. I wonder WHY many of these folks do these sites. Ego? yes I think that is a driving force.

The fact that Witchvox updates weekly and has as long as I have been coming here, is rare and appreciated by me. I don't always agree with the writers here, but do respect the efforts. It's no surprise to me that they are so busy with traffic.

Trends? I see too many automated websites. not a bad idea, but they count on us to fill them in. most of these sites are like a big fancy house with no books or furnature. ya visit and see nothing of substance. ya don't return.

I also see to many sites that are trying to copy witchvox. I wonder again WHY they do this. Don't they want us all to come together? or do they just want some power for them. Why not link to the Pagan sites that do this best? To many sites pretend they are great but they are NOT.

The pagan internet is full of trash and I really wish pagans would either update their sites or empty the trash. I get tired of clicking to a site only to find out they are lost in space. The Witches League from Salem is a good example, there home page talks about samhaim coming. How can we respect someone that doesn't care about us visitors.

love and peaceCyn

Boring... To Many Pagan Sites Are Boring. Same Graphics Same Chapters. I'd...

Boring... To many Pagan sites are boring. Same graphics same chapters.I'd rather see a self centered personal journal than another site trying to be just like the rest.If you want me to come back you have to show that you care about me. otherwise why would I care about your site.

I used to love surfing the Pagan websites... but these days the pagan web looks like that opening scene from 'back to the future two'... Advertising everywhere. everything for price. Classes online? give me a break. I was raised to believe that teaching was free and always done face to face.

I think most of the pagan webmasters are getting lazy or losing interest, unless they get paid something for their work. The christians are big on selling their religion and apparently we are not different in this respect.

I hope this changes and the spirit of this community comes back out of the cash register.

I reccomend that pagan webmasters work on offering original material again. I miss the old pagan web, the one before the greed for my money was the key factor.

I didn't really notice any change, because I mainly stick with a few favorite websites and rarely stray, or pay almost no attention when the content or design doesn't satisfy me, that is, when I DO stray. Of course, with all the Pagan/Wiccan websites out there, there should be a little more interesting, or complete websites to visit. I'd like to see more websites concentrating on more precise topics as well as history and traditions (or at least what the people in those trads can share with others without breaking their oaths) and websites that allow people to voice their opinions, announce events and write essays and contributions (ahem, sounds like someone we already know *grins*). Anyhow, that would be all I have to say on the subject because I am not the best website designer in the world (and tend to lose interest really easily in such matter). Brightest Blessings...

In my area there was a great site that started last year, socalpagan.com - in which I've found a lot of info about festivals, rituals, and coffee-house discussion groups.

In all honesty, though, I don't have a lot of time to surf the web so right now this is the only site I visit regularly. I'm grateful to Wren for keeping her nest full of all those interesting articles... because of Wren's Nest I feel like I some idea of what's going on in the Pagan community across the US.

I think it would be great if there were more sites designed by Witches in different professions - i.e. a Wiccan Businessperson's site. I will start teaching public highschool in June and I have a fantasy about anonymously running a Wiccan Educator's site. I would post essays about the importance of separation of Church and State, the different challenges in teaching grades 9-12, and how I plan to use my spirituality to help me through those rough days. I would like to have a message board and hear from other Pagan educators across the US, across the world. Since so many Pagans are mostly-solitary, I think a lot of us who are also professionals suffer from the "double-life" curse. Meeting other professionals on-line would be nice.

The biggest difference over the last year has been my own change in perspective. I posted my own Pagan website, and doing so changed how I see the Pagan web.

Before, I had worked on / been involved with sites that were purely commercial (selling services and access to content) and that weren't Pagan in subject matter. And I took from that an attitude of expecting commercial grade excellence in any website.

That changed when I posted my own Pagan (and non-commercial) website. It was my response as a Pagan to 9-11: some essays and some spells; http://wiccans.com/host/john_littlew/. My objective was simply to have my say as a Pagan. So, I wrote the content, skipped graphics (that wasn't the point of the site), uploaded the pages, and posted links around the 'Net. And that was that. The site "design" was simple, sometimes pathetically. But I didn't care: it worked, and it loaded quickly, and it voiced my opinion - which was the goal.

And it dawned on me (duh!) that many other webmasters of Pagan sites may just want to do the same thing: have their say. I used to look down on most Pagan sites as little more than oversized graphics, SSDD or plagiarism for content, some ads, and a never-ending midi file. Sadly, that *is* the case for a lot of Pagan sites. But, making my own site that was bare-bones (to say the least) but genuine nevertheless opened my eyes to the many other sites than are the same. There are a lot of other sites which are just Pagans expressing themselves, and they can be appreciated as such.

(There are treasures, like Witchvox, that are exceptions to the rule -they do have original, exclusive, regularly updated content within excellent site design; but as exceptions, they tend to also prove that rule.)

Long story short:

I'm not surfing the Pagan web with an attitude of expecting commercial grade excellence. Instead, my attitude is now taking Pagan sites for what they often are: personal expressions by Pagans of their paganism, usually only good for a one-time read. And with that new attitude, I can avoid the junk and still find an amazing amount of *personal* excellence out there on the Pagan web.

Blessed Be.

--John

I Notice A Couple Of Things.... More Sites Which Are Group Trying...

Jan 18th. at 2:15:24 pm EST

Ember (Salisbury, Maryland US)

Age: 24

I notice a couple of things....

More sites which are group trying to get organized at a local or state level and all ingeneral more profestional sites. I also see growing communication and participation between such groups.

Back in 1995 when I first got on the web most Pagan pages were personal home pages, which are naturaly still around, but we are much better organized into groups now. More real life events going on.

Oh, The Pagan Web Has Major Issues With Sucking. I Only Go...

Jan 18th. at 3:04:11 pm EST

Sepra (Tucson, Arizona US)

Age: 22

Oh, the Pagan Web has major issues with sucking. I only go to three or four sites anymore, (here, glasstemple.com, whywiccanssuck.com) and that's kinda sad. As a webmaster myself, I think Wiccans had a great potential to have an awesome web-base, but is kinda getting swept away as the rest of the net moves forward in quality of web sites.

hmm...i think that the "pagan" web hasnt changed much...im an Odinist (not to be to confused with Asatru) in the East Coast and i am heathen or pagan to get technical, and i dont see anyone trying to unite pagans as in getting them together because i know alot of witches, and so on who dont know anyone of their religion, and i my self dont, they know other pagans but it does interfear with the ceremonial concepts. i think the pagan web should start going threw all religions and not basing on the majors. so we all can be brought together not just the ones who are strong.~~~Adam "Vallghar" callahan

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